Over 25 travelers from Iran test positive for coronavirus in six Arab countries
February 25, 2020, 9:34 am

Over 25 travelers from Iran test positive for coronavirus in six Arab countries

Passengers wearing protective masks disembark from a plane upon their arrival at Najaf airport in Iraq. (Reuters)

Twenty-seven people have tested positive for coronavirus in six countries across the Arab region after returning from Iran.

Iran has reported 15 deaths from coronavirus, the highest number outside China, but that number is disputed.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran has risen to 95, the health ministry’s spokesman Kianush Jahanpour said on Tuesday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

A member of parliament from Qom said 50 were dead in the city alone and blamed the health ministry in the Islamic Republic for allowing the outbreak to spread. Iran’s Health Ministry rejected the number on Monday.

Iran reported its first case last week, but it is expected that the virus has been present for weeks. The official count of cases stands at 61, but an expert told Al Arabiya English the actual count is likely much higher.

In Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Iraq, and the UAE coronavirus cases have been reported in travelers returning from Iran.

The Iraqi Health Ministry reported its second case on Tuesday, an Iranian student in Iraq. Shortly after, a family of four in Kirkuk who had returned from Iran was diagnosed.

On Tuesday, Iraq indefinitely extended an entry ban on travelers from China and Iran and instituted similar bans on travelers from Thailand, South Korean, Japan, Italy and Singapore, the health ministry said on Tuesday

So far, 11 countries in geographic proximity to Iran have shut their land and air borders with the Islamic Republic as the virus continues to spread.

Five of Iran’s seven neighbors, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Armenia, have closed their borders to the Islamic Republic.

The UAE, which has reported two cases of coronavirus linked to Iran, has issued a travel ban to Iran.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday issued a ban on all flights to and from Iran for a week. Previously, flights to Tehran were allowed from Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel.

Oman has suspended all civil aviation with Iran after reporting two cases in women who had returned from Iran. On Tuesday, Oman's Khasab port announced it will suspend the import and export of all Iranian goods from Wednesday, February 26.

Kuwait, now with eight cases reported, halted flights to and from Iran on Saturday and banned the entry of ships coming from Iran on Sunday. Kuwait has suspended all flights to and from Iraq, as of Tuesday.

In Bahrain, the second case was confirmed in a woman who came from Iran via Dubai. Now, there are eight confirmed cases in Bahrain, all in people who came from Iran.

Bahrain civil aviation suspended all flights from Dubai airport and Sharjah airport for 48 hours over coronavirus fears, according to BNA, the official news agency.

In Lebanon, only one case of coronavirus has been confirmed in a woman returning from Iran, but she denied having the virus. Lebanon will hold an emergency parliamentary session to discuss coronavirus on Tuesday.

source: Lauren Holtmeier

Fear not Coronavirus, Iran ‘endures hardships to make enemy regretful’: Rouhani UAE suspends flights to and from Iran due to coronavirus

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”